The grey mist that enveloped the sea seemed to boil with hidden currents beneath its surface. Visibility was barely ten meters, and the pitch-black waters churned with waves, as deep and unfathomable as an abyss. Occasionally, massive and unidentified creatures passed through the murk, sending chills down one’s spine and evoking a primal, inexplicable sense of fear.
Whooo—! Suddenly, breaking through the wind and the sound of crashing waves, the haunting, melodic blast of a ship’s horn echoed in the mist. Moments later, the grey fog rolled and stirred, and two glowing ships shot forward like arrows, moving with ruthless force.
“Lord Luca! I was just about to find you. According to the calculated distance, we’re less than 500 nautical miles from Ghost Island!” Luca, who had just stepped out of the captain’s room, was greeted by the excited voice of the first mate, Keik, rushing toward him.
This middle-aged man with a pair of bushy mustaches was panting with excitement, shouting as he ran. “Lord Luca, this Windrunner Ship is incredible! Our journey has been shortened by more than seven times! My God! It’s the fastest ship I’ve ever seen in my life! If we make it back alive, I’ll definitely carve my name into its boiler.”
Luca couldn’t be bothered to respond to his first mate’s ridiculous enthusiasm. With a gesture, he commanded, “Slow down the ship’s speed. Remind everyone to be on alert and prepare. Don’t lower your guard. The people on Ghost Island aren’t to be underestimated.”
As the only known island in the Sea of Mist with living inhabitants, Ghost Island was a dangerous place. The people living there were either ruthless killers or wanted criminals from various countries, including some with Superclass strength. It was a chaotic mix of dangerous individuals. So, it was better to remain discreet. Their goal was the Celestial Pearl, not to fight demons or uphold justice.
Keik, fully aware of the dangers of Snake Island, nodded solemnly and left to carry out the order.
Just as Luca was about to ask Sophia about any news of Zenobia’s movements over the past couple of days, he suddenly turned around and noticed that Sophia was standing right behind him.
“Senior, how did you…” Luca was startled, having not sensed her presence at all. Before he could finish his sentence, he saw the mischievous glint in Sophia’s purple eyes.
Luca’s heart skipped a beat.
Something was off. This was not Sophia—it was Zenobia! When had she emerged? Where was Sophia?
A sudden, ominous premonition gripped him. His Solar Divine Spear materialized in his hand, the tip of the spear aiming directly at Zenobia. His eyes flashed coldly as he demanded in a low, harsh voice, “What are you doing here? Where is Sophia?”
“Now is my time. Why can’t I be here?” Zenobia, unfazed by the Solar Divine Spear pointing at her, sneered and said, “As for that stupid woman, she’s of course in a deep sleep. After suppressing me for so long, her Frost Divine Rank power is probably almost drained. I’m sure it won’t be long before you’ll never see her again.”
Luca’s heart sank immediately upon hearing this. His bad premonition had come true. No matter how powerful a force might be, it could never be limitless—not even a Divine Rank.
Sophia had been using the Frost Divine Rank to suppress Zenobia, and there had already been signs that it was becoming too much for her to handle. Now, it had finally reached its limit. Discover more content at empire
Seeing Luca’s wary expression, Zenobia’s eyes flashed with purple light as she mocked him. “What’s wrong? Are you scared now? Didn’t I see you being so brave before?”
As she spoke, she reached out and gently tapped the Solar Divine Spear in front of her. The speed of her hand didn’t seem fast at all, yet Luca realized he couldn’t avoid it at all.
Boom!! The instant Zenobia’s hand touched the Solar Divine Spear, an indescribable, terrifying force surged from the spear like a tsunami.
The Solar Divine Spear shot out of his hand instantly, turning into a golden flash of lightning that shot into the Sea of Mist. At the same time, Luca felt his arm explode in a spray of blood. His bones were shattered instantly.
This sudden turn of events left him no time to shut off his pain perception system. The intense pain flooded his nerves, making Luca grunt in agony.
He fell to one knee, gritting his teeth, his face pale as death. Sweat poured from his forehead, dripping steadily down.
“This is just a small punishment. I hope you remember the price of offending a god.” Zenobia elegantly walked over to Luca and gently stroked his face with her hand, as if caressing the face of a lover.
But her purple eyes were filled with something far darker—twisted, violent, and utterly cold-blooded.
Luca, struggling to endure the pain, opened his menu and turned off the pain perception. As the pain slowly receded like a wave, he exhaled deeply in relief. In just that brief moment, his clothes were drenched in cold sweat, and blood still poured from his arm.
“This grudge, I’ll remember it,” Luca looked up at Zenobia, breathing heavily, his gaze sharp and fierce, like a hungry wolf.
The gap between them was so vast that Luca had no chance to retaliate when he was in her hands just now. However, this did not mean that he was afraid of her. Sooner or later, he would make Zenobia pay for what she had done to him.
“Heh.” Zenobia didn’t even bother to mock his audacity.
During the Divine Court era, countless gods had said similar things to her, yet she was still alive and well. Those who had made such bold claims either had their divine bodies shattered, their divine souls scattered, or some even had to start over and re-earn their divine rank.
Luca, a mere human, could be crushed with a flick of her hand. How could he be worth her attention?
At the same time, hurried footsteps came from the deck.
“Luca-sama!” The commotion had attracted the attention of the soldiers and sailors on board. Not long after, Isaac and Gavin arrived with their men. When they saw the blood on the ground and Luca’s injuries, they sucked in a sharp breath, their eyes wide with disbelief, thinking they must have seen it wrong!
Isaac’s heart was in turmoil. He had seen Luca fight firsthand and knew just how terrifying his strength was. Yet here he was, a being of such power, with his arm gone?!
“Protect Luca-sama!” Soon, Gavin and the others reacted. They immediately focused on Sophia, sensing something was off about her.
But before they could get any closer, Luca suddenly shouted, “Stay back!”
Zenobia might not kill him, but she might not be as merciful to these people.
“Luca… your arm!” Ellie’s face went pale as she stared at Luca’s missing arm. Her head spun, and she wanted to rush to him to help, but she wasn’t sure whether she should listen to Luca’s orders.
“I’m fine.” Luca took a deep breath and slowly rose to his feet. His arm wound was surrounded by a crimson aura and dark Demonic energy. Then, his bones, blood vessels, nerves, and muscles began to grow rapidly, an eerie sight.
It was the Undying Blood of the Crimson Apostle and the Undead Coffin’s immortal body at work, repairing his form.
Before long, under the astonished gazes of everyone, Luca’s arm regenerated on its own. He clenched his fist, feeling no discomfort, then raised his hand. A golden gleam flashed in his eyes as a beam of golden light shot through the Sea of Mist, and the Solar Divine Spear streaked across the sky, landing perfectly in his hand.
Luca’s gaze was cold and piercing as he looked at Zenobia, who appeared genuinely interested in the situation. He spoke with a threatening tone, “You can either leave now and pretend nothing happened, or we can leave Sea of Mist, and you’ll never get your hands on the Celestial Pearl. Choose.”
“Do you really think that highly of yourself?” Zenobia’s eyes narrowed slightly, and she responded, “I could kill all of you and still find the Celestial Pearl myself.”
“Is that so?” Luca sneered. “Then why haven’t you killed us yet?” If Zenobia could really find the Celestial Pearl on her own, she wouldn’t need to be here, playing these games with them.
From what he had discussed with Sophia earlier, they had both concluded that Zenobia had some reservations preventing her from acting on her own. The fact that she hadn’t taken action until now was likely because Sophia had cornered her, forcing her hand. The more Zenobia acted like she had everything under control, the more it indicated that she was concerned about something. This gave Luca some leverage for negotiations.
Zenobia remained silent for a long time, her eyes flashing with thoughts Luca could not guess.
Luca, however, was not one to wait indefinitely. He stared at her coldly and said, “I’ll give you one last chance. Agree to my terms, and the Celestial Pearl will be fair game for both of us. If not, then you can just give it to someone else.”
Although Luca wasn’t sure what the situation was outside, he knew the Via Empire must have made some move by now. If Zenobia refused to let Sophia go, then they’d both perish together—he was a player and wasn’t afraid of dying.
“You have more courage than I expected,” Zenobia spoke slowly, her face impassive. She added coldly, “I hope when I get the Celestial Pearl, you’ll still have the guts to speak to me like this.”
As her words left her lips, her eyes and hair began to shift, turning an icy blue at an observable rate. She then slowly closed her eyes and her body began to collapse.
Luca reacted swiftly, rushing over to catch Sophia before she hit the ground. He checked for a pulse, relieved to find that there were no major issues. He let out a deep sigh of relief.
At that moment, Sophia’s eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. Upon seeing Luca, she was momentarily stunned, but then quickly realized what had happened. Weakly, she asked, “Did… did she go back?”
Luca nodded, “She’s gone. She shouldn’t be back for a while, at least not until she finds the Celestial Pearl.”
Sophia exhaled in relief. Just as she was about to say something, her eyes fell upon the blood splattered across the ground and the bloodstains on Luca’s severed sleeve. A flicker of regret flashed in her eyes, and she apologized, “I’m sorry. I thought I could suppress her, but I didn’t realize she had been hiding her strength.”